Google’s latest content paywall experiment: pay with an answer

Would you pay to read news online? Maybe not, as many online newspapers have learned. Publishers, on the other hand, are keen to make up for revenues they’re losing due to the decline of print. Well, Google may have come up with an original solution to this equation – and it’s not One Pass.

Spotted by the Nieman Lab, Google’s latest experiment looks like a “survey wall.” Indeed, readers have to answer a question before accessing content free of charge. Here’s how it looks like on the Texas Tribune’s salary database:

It’s worth noting that the question in the example isn’t trivial, and users may feel uncomfortable giving political opinions. However, Google anticipates privacy concerns ans insists that answers are anonymous. Besides, users are given the option to skip a question and answer another one.

Although Google’s description presents this solution as a win-win situation, it is worth noting that this feature is only a limited trial. Companies interested in becoming trial partners can apply by filling this Google Docs form.

As a reader, would you answer surveys to access news? As a content publisher, do you find this interesting? Let us know in the comments.